In some mobile communication terminals including a mobile phone, an attachable module referred to as a subscriber identity module or SIM is used to perform voice or data communication. An identification number referred to by an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) which is uniquely assigned to a user of a mobile communication terminal by a carrier providing a communication service is stored in a SIM. An IMSI includes: a mobile country code or MCC indicative of a country in which the user resides; a mobile network code or MNC indicative of a carrier to which the user subscribes; and a mobile station identification number or MSIN which is a code used for identifying the user. Since an IMSI indicates only a single useable country and information on a useable carrier, the IMSI is effective only for a single carrier and in single country. In some types of SIMs, a mobile international ISDN number or MSISDN, IC card ID or ICCID and other information can be stored in addition to the IMSI described above.
Recently, a standard of SIMs capable of rewriting IMSI, MSISDN, ICCID or other information via a mobile communication network has been proposed. Such a type of SIMs is referred to as an embedded subscriber identity module or eSIM. Rewriting of IMSI or other information stored in the eSIM allows a mobile communication terminal to use multiple carriers independently without need to use a roaming service.
For a mobile communication terminal capable of receiving communication services provided by different carriers, there may be a case in which a user must pay for each of the carriers or obtain information to connect with each network independently, which is inconvenient for the user. In this regard, a scheme of collectively performing a processing necessary to use multiple carriers has been proposed to omit a process performed when switching mobile communication networks provided by different carriers.
For example, JP2002-320050A discloses a system to pay collectively fees for services to carriers used by a user of a device capable of receiving multiple communication services provided by different carriers.
There may be case where it is necessary for a mobile communication terminal to obtain information about a carrier when receiving a communication service provided by the carrier at the mobile communication terminal. However, the system disclosed in JP2002-320050A does not include such a case.